Second Chances: No Holiday Without You
by jtbwriter
Summary: A holiday excursion turns into a fight for survival when Rick and A.J.Simon rush to save a missing Oscar Goldman. Giving up is not an option when a bleak future is shown one of the brothers, who does what it takes to save them all.
1. Chapter 1

Second Chances: It's No Holiday Without You

A holiday excursion turns into a fight for survival when Rick and A.J. rush to save a missing Oscar Goldman. Giving up is not an option when a bleak future is shown one of the brothers, who does what it takes to save them all.

(This is a work of fiction. No money is being made on it, and the characters are owned by Universal Studios and are only being borrowed for a little while. .)

A/N: For any new readers, "Second Chances" is my "what if?" for Rick and A.J. Simon...What if they didn't end the partnership or A.J. didn't marry Janet or Liz.... What if Rick had a long-lost sweetheart who needed protection from a crazed stalker? And.....what if Rick and his girl fell in love, adopted her niece and nephew, and made a home first in San Diego, then in Arizona? These "what if''s" are the basis for my continuing "Simon & Simon" as if they never went off the air. This series also includes crossovers from Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman and Dark Shadows.....so feel free to read my other stories for the whys and wherefores of these three worlds meeting!

"Dad! Where are you? Can you hear me?" Rick Simon hollered into the wind, then listened for a response.

"I still think he must have headed in the other direction, Rick." His brother called to him, his words all but swallowed up in the howling storm. Visibility was poor above Lost Valley, and both men shivered in the rapidly dropping temperatures.

"No A.J.…this is the direction Rudy last saw him in…." Rick began, then stopped in mid-sentence as a faint voice caught his ear.

"Go back…danger!"

"It's Dad….up there…" he yelled, then gingerly headed up the ice-covered slope to a small indentation in the hillside. A.J. followed, then called out, "Oscar…wave something if you can!"

A sudden rumbling sound caused both men to look up, then Rick saw an arm stick out of an alcove in the rocks to the left of them, beckoning to the Simons.

"Avalanche!" he cried, grabbing his brother's arm and pulling him along, having seen the spray of snow shoot out above them. As they ran, Rick prayed that they would find shelter before the shower of snow and ice overtook them.

Just as they reached where Rick had seen the signal come from, A.J. stumbled, and quickly Rick caught his arm before the avalanche could drag him down the mountain. Helping him duck down through a scraggly bush into what looked like a small cave, Rick saw another figure huddled inside, and he smiled with relief.

"Dad?"

Suddenly the figure rose, and to his horror, held a gun in his hand, pointed at his chest.

"Nice to see you both showed up, Mr. Simon. Take a seat over there with your father-in-law."

Rick squinted at the man's face; it was familiar, but ..

"What's this all about?" he began, then saw in the dim light Oscar Goldman's face, blood dripping from a cut on his forehead.

"Dad? Are you all right?" The older man looked at him, and for a moment Rick saw worry in his gaze, before he seemingly slumped into a half-sitting position.

"What did you do to him?" A.J. demanded angrily, his hand going to his pocket. At once the sound of a hammer being drawn back was heard.

"Freeze, Mr. Simon, or your brother's dead."

Instantly A.J. withdrew his hand, as the stranger gestured the Simons to sit next to their father-in-law.

"You might as well get comfortable, you're going to be in here a long time"

"Listen, I don't know what's going on…" A.J. began, subsiding as the man again pointed his weapon at Rick's chest. Growling under his breath, Rick awkwardly sat next to Oscar as A.J. maneuvered into place on the other side of the older man.

"Okay, you have us, so what next?" Rick asked, then saw fire in the eyes of their captor.

I've been without my brother over 20 years, and now your family'll know what it's like to suffer." the man spat at them. All of a sudden Rick knew who they were talking about.

"Your name is Peter, right?" he asked, as A.J. turned and stared at him. The younger man gave them a twisted smile.

"So, you do remember me….well, let's hope Mrs. Simon does, 'cause I'm going to be your messenger, Simon. I'm going to be the one who delivers your last words, so I can watch her grieve over losing a loved one. I'm going to tell her how you three will die-she's going to pay for helping kill my brother."


	2. Chapter 2

"Kill your brother? What's he talking about? Sis didn't have anything to do with him getting shot! He's the one who took my brother and Laurie and tried to kill them!" A.J. retorted, matching his anger. Rodriguez gave out a strained laugh.

"So I've been told….well, maybe so ….but she helped force him into it…so I hold her as responsible as if she put those bullets in him. Now, put your hands together in front of you…now. I don't want any trouble, or I'll kill you one by one then take out the rest of your family!" he snarled. Reluctantly the Simons held out their hands, and the younger man stuffed his gun in his waistband, then quickly bound their wrists with rope. Slower to react was Oscar, and as Rodriguez impatiently leaned over to pull at his arms, Rick saw his chance and lunged forward, his hands grasping the man's gun and wrenching it from him.

"No….I'll kill you!" Rodriquez shouted, then surprisingly Oscar launched himself from his knees and smashed their assailant into the cave wall. A.J. caught his father-in-law as he fell sideways, as Rick gripped the weapon in both hands.

"All right, now your turn to freeze, jerk!" he began, only to feel the mountain shaking under him. Immediately Rodriguez dove out of the cave, then disappeared into the falling snow. Just then the sound of crashing rocks and trees sounded as Rick started to get to his feet, intent on stopping him.

"No, Rick….it's another avalanche!" Oscar gasped, and Rick dropped back onto the icy ground. A wild yell told them Rodriguez had gotten caught in the snow slide, and Rick let out a sigh. His relief was cut short as debris from the rushing tumble of rocks and ice started to fill up the entrance to the cave..

"Quick, stick this in the opening!" A.J. told him urgently, indicating his backpack. Instantly Rick seized it and stuffed it into the rapidly shrinking opening.

"Here, Rick…use this too, we'll need to make sure it doesn't close up anymore", Oscar added, passing over his rucksack. Shoving it into the other side of the hole, Rick made sure enough of a gap was left to allow fresh air in. Exhausted, he collapsed back against the rock wall then slid into a sitting position.

"Thanks, Dad….. Now we have to get some help….are you hurt anywhere?" he asked, seeing Oscar wince as he stretched out his hand and undid the ropes on first Rick, then A.J..

"Just dazed, son….he caught me from behind and dragged me into this cave…I was afraid he would go after Rudy…I take it he sent you after me?" Oscar said wryly.

"Yes….we were all set to start out to find you until the snow showers hit last night." Rick explained, seeing the reluctant grin on his stepfather's face.

"I can imagine….Thank God you waited….Rodriguez was threatening to go after the rest of you as soon as it cleared and once he figured out my watch was a transmitter, he took it off me and smashed it. Do you have yours on?" he asked. Rick nodded.

"Yeah, only I don't know what kind of reception we'll get in this cave…but let me try."

As first he then A.J. turned their transmitters on, Rick prayed inwardly that their signal would be strong enough. Just as he went to hit send, a faint voice came over the tiny speaker.

"Rick? Darling….are you there?"

"Laurie?" Rick's spirits lifted as her voice called again, "Rick…please, darling…answer me!"

"Laurie, I hear you…is Steve there?" he answered, then smiled as his wife replied, sounding relieved, "Yes, love…and Robbie and Rob…did you and A.J. find Dad?"

"Yes, sweetheart, he's all right. We have a problem, though. Let me talk to Robbie…" Rick started.

"Pop? It's Robbie…" His son's voice came in and out, and he tried to boost the volume on his watch.

"I can barely hear you, son….so let me talk fast." Rick said loudly. "Dad and A.J. and I are trapped in a cave above Switchback trail….there's been an avalanche and the entrance is partially blocked. As soon as the snow lets up, we're going to need some help getting out."

"It's not bad right now, Pop…we can start out for you in a few minutes…" came the younger man's answer. "We were ready to go as soon as your location came up on Uncle Rudy's tracking screen."

"Tell your Uncle to keep us locked in…we're not going anywhere." Rick tried to joke. He sobered as A.J. spoke up. "Robbie, you'll probably need to bring a sled with you, Oscar was taken hostage by this guy whose brother we helped convict. We managed to take his gun away, but we think he got caught in a snow slide trying to escape. It's going to take some doing to get him back to town."

"I was afraid something had happened…Mom had a bad feeling when you were late checking in." Robbie replied, relief in his voice. "Rob and Uncle Steve are coming with me; we should be able to find that guy and bring him down with us."

"Remind me to stick some extra candy in your mother's stocking, son." Rick chuckled as his wife's voice came on in the background. "Thank you, Rick….all I want in my stocking is you, though."

"Me too, darlin'…" he whispered. Oscar loudly cleared his voice.

"All right, honey…save it for when we come home….where's your mother?"

"Right here, Dad." Laurie said, as Robbie passed her transmitter to Cecilia. As Oscar spoke to his wife, the three men prepared to leave the ranch.

"Mom, keep an ear on the weather report, would you?" Robbie asked, sliding on an all weather backpack. Next to him Steve Austin hugged Laurie, saying, "We'll bring them all home…safe and sound."

"I know you will, Steve..thank you for going…" she found herself sniffing, then wiped her eyes with her sleeve as Cecilia told Rick, "You stay put with Oscar and your brother, the guys will be up there as soon as they can."

"Yes, Mom…." Rick pretended to groan, as A.J. rolled his eyes.

Just then the crackling of thunder signaled that another storm cell was over their head, and A.J. sighed.

"Just our luck, a snowstorm 3 days before Christmas. I hope Ricky and Andy don't get snowed in at the convention center…"

"You and me both, little brother." Rick told him, a small smile on his face. "_And to think all we were worried was finding a wild turkey…"_ He thought wryly.


	3. Chapter 3

_Forty-eight hours before……_

"Up on the rooftop, quick, quick quick….down the chimney came old Saint Nick"…

Rick grinned as he listened to twenty-four teenagers singing about Santa Claus. One of the best parts of "semi" retirement was being able to attend the junior high Christmas program, and see his youngest niece perform with her class.

As the song ended, Melly Simon stepped forward to enthusiastic applause from the nearly full auditorium and a loud whistle from her uncle.

"Rick…shhhh…." A.J. elbowed Rick, then simmered down as his daughter flashed a smile at her family.

"Thank you, all of you for coming to our celebration." She announced importantly. "The students, staff and teachers of Pine Cone Junior High would like to wish all of you a Happy Holiday, and a great New Years…and…."

Turning with a flourish, she signaled the kids behind her, and they broke into "We wish you a Merry Christmas…"

"Aren't you proud of her!" Linda Simon whispered, as the audience joined in the song. Laurie Simon beamed back at her, paper-wrapped flowers under her arm.

"Yes, she's the most confident of all the kids, Sis.." she murmured back, then applauded as the music ended and everyone cheered. "It's just hard to realize she's a teenager.."

"Uh…hold that thought, Laurie.." A.J. laughed, as the family got up from their seats and went to join the excited throng of 7th and 8th graders. "She's been sneaking makeup from her sister all year."

"I bet Ceci must have loved that…but now I know what "Santa" needs to put in her stocking!" Laurie smiled, then took her turn embracing her niece.

"You were fantastic, Melly…these are for you.." she told Melly, and saw the happy expression on the girl's face.

"Auntie..they're beautiful…Thank you and Uncle Rick so much….I almost lost it when he whistled…" she giggled, then hugged her mother as Linda pinned a corsage of snowdrops on her blouse.

"I am so proud of you, honey….you did a great job. Can we take you and your friends to lunch?" she asked, then blinked with surprise when Melly shook her head, red-faced.

"None of them will want to go, Mom….can it just be us?" she blurted.

Instantly A.J. covered the moment. "Sure, Melly….We'll go to Two's if you like….I know you love the burgers there…"

"Yeah, you and your Auntie can have Root Beer Floats with double cherries, too." Rick hastened to add, and his niece brightened up.

"Thanks, Dad. Uncle Rick…can we get rings too?"

"All you can eat!" he quipped, then exchanged a worried glance with his wife as Melly went to get her coat.

"I wonder what happened, Melly always has lots of friends over, Sis.." Linda whispered to Laurie, who shook her head in puzzlement.

"I don't know, but hopefully we can find out if someone is bullying her, or …" she replied, pausing as Rick added loudly "There's our girl, come on before your brothers and sister's stomachs start growling.." Melly laughed, then joined her family as they left the auditorium.

As the Simons arrived at the restaurant, Rick was glad to see A.J. had called ahead as the popular hangout was full. A smiling hostess directed them to a separate dining area, where the rest of A.J.'s children were already seated. Cecilia and Oscar Goldman had joined them at the head of the table, with Robbie and Ramona Simon and their children perched next to them.

"Hah, beat you!" Robin Simon teased his younger sister as she slid in next to him. "I already had two plates of rings!"

"Don't listen to this fibber!" Ceci told Melly tolerantly. "He was too busy making eyes at some senior girl to order yet!"

"Ceci!" Robin yelled, then was shushed sternly by A.J..

"Robin, take it down a notch or you'll get lima beans.." he started, only for Rick to do a spit take with his water at the fake threat.

"Lima beans? Is that the worst you can do?" he half-choked, and Linda stifled a grin as she nodded.

"That is the food Robin dislikes the most…but Ceci…don't push buttons…."

"Yes, Mom…" the older girl sighed. Rick shook his head, snickering.

"Sounds like someone I know at that age…"

"Not me, Pop…" Robbie grinned, nudging his cousin Ricky. A.J. laughed as the older boy shrugged. "Well, it was fun for a while..".

"Son, Robbie has you pegged…and it wasn't so much fun when someone did it to you." A.J. teased.

"Hmmm, I wonder who taught you about that.." Cecilia smiled at her sons. Laurie giggled as Rick swiped an onion ring off his brother's plate.

"Not me."

Amid the laughter and joking, Rick caught a glance at his wife's face, and saw sadness in her eyes as she leaned in to hear one of the kids tell a joke.

"Rick, I thought this would cheer her up…."

Startled, he turned to see Oscar glance worriedly at Laurie.

"It's helping, Dad….I think it just hit her that Robin's never been away for Christmas, one way or the other she and Ian and the kids have always been here." Rick explained soberly. "Plus she's worried about Melly….we think someone's been bullying her…."

"Well, maybe after the holidays Cecilia and I can sit down with her and find out…" Oscar volunteered. Rick smiled broadly.

"Thanks, Dad….I know she'll spill to you…" he replied, grateful that his father-in-law was so caring with all the kids. As if to prove his point, Melly came over and hugged him, saying, "Thank you, Grandpa Oscar, for the candy….I promise to share it.."

"Well, you did such a good job, I thought maybe Santa wouldn't mind if I slipped you an early present." He answered, beaming. At once the younger kids chimed in, asking if Santa would be coming to the ranch this year.

"Why, why wouldn't he…a little cold weather wouldn't keep him away…" Oscar explained, then laughed as Robbie's son Davey shook his head dolefully.

"I know, but what about Petey and Katey….it won't be the same without them this year…I hope Santa knows they're in Chicago."

"Of course he know, son….remember, Santa knows where everyone is and what they've done this year." Rudy hastened to add from his place next to Linda.

"That's right, and we'll make sure to call your cousins on Christmas Eve, so it'll be just like having them here……" Laurie finished, trying to smile at the kids. Rick slipped his arm around her and felt her relax as Davey cheered up.

As the group finished eating and started to head for home, Robbie caught his eye and hung back to let Ramona and the kids go ahead of him.

"Pop…is Mom all right…she seemed really down after dinner.." he said in a low voice, as Laurie stopped to thank their waiter.

"She's missing your sister…but I might have something in the works that will make her feel better." Rick explained, keeping an eye on his wife. Just then she joined them, saying, "I so appreciate Ramon staying late tonight to help out…I want to drop a little gift off to him before Christmas, Rick."

"That's a nice idea, darlin'….I'll make sure we come by the restaurant." Rick agreed, draping her coat around her. "You wait with Robbie, and I'll bring the truck around."

"You are so thoughtful, I think Santa will be extra good to you.." she smiled, then hugged Robbie as he made his good nights.

"You and Pop drive careful, Mama….it's icy out.."

"We will, honey….you too…See you at breakfast?" Laurie asked, then beamed as Robbie told them "And miss Pop's waffles…not a chance."

"Just for that I'll make extra for your lunch, Son." Rick smirked, then went outside the restaurant, as A.J. rolled his eyes.

"Robbie…don't give him a big head..they're good but not that good…"

"Sorry Uncle A.J….next to…I mean….Pop does get them just right." Robbie covered his words, only for Laurie to put a hand on his arm.

"It's all right, honey…Robin has always made the best breakfasts…I'm okay if you mention her…and she and Ian and the kids are coming for New Years…Ian promised." She assured him gently. "I know you miss your sister, but they'll settle into a new city better this way if they celebrate the holidays there."

Overhearing his daughter, Oscar smiled as Cecilia whispered, "Not if our son has anything to do about it."

"You've got that right, Cecilia." he quipped, opening the restaurant door for her.


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, Melly…stand back and let me know how they look.."

The teenager backed up the windswept driveway as A.J. fastened the last of the holiday lights to the eaves, then carefully went down the ladder.

"They look great, Dad..okay, Ricky…now!" she hollered.

At once the whole house lit up, and the younger Simons cheered as candy canes danced, a reindeer leaped over the chimney, and a neon train ran along the length of the condominium. From the front window, Rudy Wells and Oscar Goldman gave a thumbs up as simultaneously the living room Christmas tree burst with colored lights and twinkling stars.

"All right, good work kids!" A.J. beamed, as first Ricky, then Ceci, Robin and Melly took turns high-fiving him. Just then a musical horn announced his brother's arrival, and Linda came out of the house, laughing as Rick carefully pulled alongside the curb.

"Perfect timing, Rick….what do you think?" she asked, giving him a hug as he climbed out of his truck.

"Not bad, not bad…I see my namesake and company have been hard at work!" he exclaimed with a wink, waiting to see A.J.'s reaction.

"Thanks, Uncle Rick, but Dad's the one who did all the hanging!" Ricky snickered, seeing his father roll his eyes.

"Never mind, son….your Uncle is not getting a rise out of me this time…" A.J. smiled wryly. "It's like that wild turkey horn he gave you…."

Suddenly Melly turned to Rick, "Is it true, Uncle Rick, that there were once wild turkeys in Lost Valley?"

Startled by the question, A.J. glanced at his brother as Rick answered, "Sure, honey….your Great-grandfather used to hunt them so Silver Rock could have real Thanksgiving dinners. I saw a couple years ago, but now there's just a few of them in the foothills. Why?"

"Because a couple of the snotty girls in her class say Auntie Laurie made them up in her stories, that there's no such thing as …" Robin began, only for his sister to glare at him.

"You promised you wouldn't say anything, Robin…you promised!" she yelled, then dashed past her mother into the house.

"Melly? What the…" Linda worriedly followed her youngest inside, as A.J turned to Robin.

"When did this happen, son?"

"About a week ago….when Mrs. Casewell picked Melly to be the M.C. for the Christmas program. That Maria Jackson and Jenny Yang started ragging Melly about Auntie Laurie's making up stories. Melly told them to lay off and they insisted there was no such thing as wild turkeys in Arizona." Robin told them, uncomfortably.

"So that's why your sister didn't want to invite anyone out after the program." A.J. sighed, as Rick added, "I take it they were jealous about her being selected?"

"Oh yeah, Uncle Rick….they called her a suck-up and …well…worse." He explained, embarrassed, then cheered up as Rick said, "I'm glad you told us, son. I know we can't call these girls on their being mean to Melly, but we can at least let her know she was right to stick up for your Auntie."

"Well, Melly might be a pain as a sister, but I don't want anyone else bothering her.." Robin sighed. A.J. slung an arm around his son as he replied, "That's good to know, Robin…now let's get inside and get warm…I think your Auntie might just have made cocoa and cookies…"

By the time everyone came inside, Rick was glad to see his wife putting out holiday cookies while steaming pots of coffee and hot chocolate sat waiting on the living room table.

"There's my elf…" he grinned, snatching a frosted Santa from a tray then following it up with a kiss. Laurie put down the plate she was carrying, then wrapped her arms around him.

"There's my Santa….I was afraid you'd miss the lighting…Did you get a look at the tree?"

"Yes, darlin'….Dad and Rudy did a great job….those stars really show well from the street." Rick told her, rubbing his cold face against her and making her giggle.

"I need to warm you up, love.."

"No time like the present.." he snickered. Just then Linda emerged from the hallway, and Rick saw her expression was troubled.

"Linda? Is Melly all right?" Laurie asked, and her sister-in-law nodded.

"Yes, she's just embarrassed that we know about her being picked on….I'd like to put some coal in those mean girls stockings.." she replied angrily. Oscar frowned as Rudy asked, "We heard it was over Missy's stories…what did they tease her about?"

"These two girls claim Sis made up the stories of wild turkeys in Lost Valley, and when Melly stood up to them…" Laurie shook her head, her smile vanishing.

"I'm so sorry Melly was treated like that…can I talk to her, Linny?"

"Sure, she's in her room…I think she just didn't want to hurt your feelings." Linda explained, then wiped her eyes with her apron as Laurie came over and put an arm around her.

"I know it hurts to see Melly upset, Sis….I'll just let her know I appreciate her defending me…." She said. As they watched both women head toward the teenager's bedroom, Oscar turned to Rudy.

"Maybe we ought to prove to Melly that wild turkeys still exist around Silver Rock…didn't you say Rob spotted some up near Switchback Trail?"

"Yes, he did, just a few….but it might be fun to bring back a couple for Christmas..you know, like Grandmother Kasey's father did for the church Thanksgiving dinner." Rudy answered, a twinkle in his eyes.

Before long, the "turkey hunt" was planned for the next day, with Chief Rob Gamez being roped into leading the expedition. When Melly heard about the trip, she emotionally hugged both Oscar and Rudy, saying, "Those girls will have to believe Auntie's stories now if you find one, I hope you get a nice big hen!"

"We'll do our best, honey…but never let me hear of you being afraid to tell us when someone bothers you, okay?" Oscar told her, sternly. Melly nodded.

"Cross my heart and hope to spit, Grandpa!"

At the look on the older man's face, Rudy chuckled. "Sorry, pal, but that sounds like something your daughter might have taught her!"

"Or my son-in-law…." Oscar laughed.

The next morning dawned gray and cold, and Laurie shivered as she watched Chief Rob pull away from the ranch in his jeep, Oscar and Rudy waving from the rear seats.

"I hope this wind doesn't bring any storms, Rick…..I don't want them to get caught up on the mountain in this…." She told him as she closed the front door.

Behind her Rick finished stoking the fire he'd built in the fireplace, then came over and wrapped his arms around his wife. "They'll be okay, sweetheart….Rob will turn them around at the first hint of snow… I just hope A.J. gets here before they get back…it'll be fun to see Melly's face when Dad and Rudy show up with a turkey."

"I know..don't mind me.." she sighed, then turned in his arms for a kiss. Enthusiastically Rick returned her affections, until the phone rang. Immediately Laurie giggled as he groused, "Damn…someone's timing is lousy." Rick picked up the extension with one hand, while keeping an arm around Laurie with the other as he said, "Simon residence".

"Good morning, Pop". Robin was on the other end, and Rick immediately decided to cheer up his wife.

"Morning, honey…how's my birdie today?" he asked, seeing Laurie beam at him. "Is that my Robin-tell her hi for me."

"I will, Laurie, but do you know where Jack is? It's too cold for him to be out" , he asked, distracting her. Laurie went to get their little terrier in, as Rick instantly covered the speaker on the receiver until she left the room.

"Coast is clear, honey…." He told her, then grinned as his daughter said, "We're all good, Pop, and I've got info on our Christmas surprise…"

Minutes later Laurie came back into the house with a damp Jack, and headed for their bedroom, only to find Rick was busy wrapping presents on the floor.

"Rick, is everything all right with Robin? I was hoping to ask her what I could send her and Ian for Christmas?" she told him, trying not to be disappointed.

"Everything's good, darlin'…"Rick told her, fingers crossed behind him. "She was in a hurry, but wanted to let us know she was thinking of us."

"Oh, bless her….I know I'm going to miss her something awful, but at least she'll settle into a new routine sooner this way." Laurie mused. At that Rick nearly choked, then covered his reaction by standing up and hugging his wife.

"That's my girl…thanks for being so wonderful about everything…I'd be in pieces if it wasn't for you cheering me up!"

"Oh…Rick..you're the one who's kept me from being a weeping willow!" she sniffed, laying her head against his chest. "Besides…we'll see them at New Years."

"That'll give me an excuse to leave the decorations …and the mistletoe up that much longer!" he snickered, earning a quick tickle from Laurie. Instantly Rick pulled her onto the bed and returned the favor until she squealed, "You win!"

Suddenly Jack jumped on the bed, barking, and Rick burst out laughing.

"I think Jack thinks he won, sweetheart."

"Silly Jack…." She giggled, then the sound of a horn beeping told them they had visitors.

"I'll get it, Laurie." Rick told her, getting up and heading to the front room. As he looked out the living room window, he spotted his brother's car, and hit the switch for the driveway gate.

"Brrrr, are you sure we're not getting snow?" A.J. shivered, hustling Linda, Ceci, Robin and Melly into the house. Instantly Laurie came in with a tray of hot drinks, and the teenagers made a beeline for the warmth of the fireplace.

"Auntie Laurie, it's soooo cold out….I feel like an icicle!" Ceci chattered, and Robin nodded, grabbing a cup of cocoa. "Or a snowman!"

"Well, you guys sit over here and you'll warm up." Laurie told them, setting down the tray on the coffee table and giving a hug to each of them.

As A.J. and Linda sipped coffee and kibitzed as Rick finished decorating the Christmas tree, Melly came quietly over to her aunt.

"Honey, don't you want something to drink?" Laurie asked, then frowned as her niece shook her head.

"I'm okay, but….will Grandpa be able to find a turkey in this cold? I thought the Chief said they won't come out if it's too wet or snowing?"

"I think he'll find one…remember it was snowing when Grandmother Kasey went to Lost Valley and found her father's cabin. Granted, it was Grandfather Gene who went back and got the turkeys after she got hurt…" Laurie explained, sitting down in her chair. Melly sat across from her on the sofa and took a cup of cider from the table.

"I didn't know that, what did Grandmother Kasey say when he came home with them?"

"Well, why don't I get her journal and let her tell you." Laurie got up and went to the bookcase, then came back with a thin brown volume in her hand.

"Let me see….their engagement, then Grandfather Gene's being called into service, his coming home….okay-here it is Grandmother's finding her father's cabin. Let's start with Grandfather taking her home."


	5. Chapter 5

As Melly leaned in to hear the story, Ceci and Robin saw their Aunt holding the journal and came over to listen.

"Sweetheart, are you going to tell one of Grandmother Kasey's stories?" Rick hung an ornament, then came over to his wife's chair.

"Yes, Rick, I found where Grandfather Gene went back to Lost Valley to hunt wild turkey's their first Thanksgiving together." Laurie told him, then laughed as Rick scooped her up, sitting in her rocker and placing her in his lap.

"Isn't that more comfortable?" he smirked, and she smiled up at him.

"Best seat in the house."

"Sounds good to me…" A.J. grinned as he put an arm around Linda, and she winked at her sister-in-law.

"Thanks for the good example, sis…"

"I try….now let me see….Grandmother Kasey heard Gene call her name…"

"_Kasey? Where are you?" _

"_Here! Gene, I'm here, in the clearing, darling." I shouted back, then nearly broke down as he came through the trees. I stumbled towards him, then I was in his arms, saying "Gene, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll never disobey you again." _

_He hugged me tightly, whispering, "It's all right, Kasey. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" _

_I drew back, startled. "Gene, you know about the horse thieves? I was afraid they'd gotten away, how did you find me?" _

_He picked me up, then seemed to notice the little shack for the first time. "Where did this come from, Kasey?" _

"_It's…Gene, It's my father's. I guess it was his little hunting cabin or something. It's got some pictures of me, and books…..I didn't know he had it either, until last night." At my request Gene reached behind me and closed the door. _

"_We'll have to come back, sweetheart. I want to see it, but, oh Kasey…." He saw the lump on my forehead, then dropped a kiss on it. _

"_I'll be okay, Gene. I hurt my ankle when I fell, but I think I'm all right otherwise." I told him as he started back to the canyon edge. As we approached the rocky walls of the valley, a sudden gust of wind blew the vegetation covering the rocky surface. _

_At once, a cave entrance was exposed, and Gene gave a low whistle. "Would you look at that?" _

"_Now I know how my father got in and out of here, hopefully it's still clear, Gene." I told him, then lowered my head against his shoulder as he stepped gingerly into the passage. _

_Within a minute we traversed the winding path, and emerged at the edge of Lost Valley. _

_I was surprised to see Captain Jackson, Gene's friend from the fort, as well as Deputy Pat, waiting beside Champ, Gene's horse. _

_Over the exclamations of relief, I explained what happened, then saw anger in the men's faces as Captain Jackson said, "The only reason we knew they had run into you was that one of them said they would have gotten away if it wasn't for "that nosy deputy." _

_Gene scowled, then tersely he thanked the others. Lifting me onto Champ, he climbed up in back of me and we rode into town. _

_I could tell Gene was upset with me, so as soon as the two men were out of earshot, I said "Gene?" _

"_Yes." _

"_I'm sorry, I should have listened to you. I wanted to prove I could catch a couple of the turkeys like my father used to. I wanted to help, but instead, I guess I messed up." _

_I heard Gene take a deep breath, but he didn't say anything in return.. _

_I was heartsick, I couldn't bear his silence, what if my stubbornness had cost me Gene's trust. _

_I closed my eyes, willing myself not to cry, then rested my aching head against his chest. _

"_Kasey, I'm the one who's sorry." Gene's voice startled me, and I opened my eyes to see him looking worriedly at me. _

"_I was upset that you thought about helping Father Gregory with Thanksgiving, I'd forgotten all about the church dinner. I should have remembered Bob's bringing the turkeys for the feast and offered to go with you." Now I wanted to cry in earnest, and I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. _

"_I love you, Gene. I promise always to share my ideas with you." I smiled up at him and he wrapped his free arm around me and returned my kiss. _

"_I love you, sweetheart. And I promise I'll always listen." He told me earnestly. _

_And listen Gene did, for as soon as my ankle was wrapped up and I was resting in my room above the office, he and Captain Jackson rode back to Lost Valley. I later found out Johathan bet Gene $10 that he would get the first turkey. He lost. As Gene led the way through the tiny mountain exit we had used, a faint "gobble, gobble, gobble" came from the canyon floor._

_Excited, Johathan pulled out his rifle, and once both of them were out of the tunnel, they spotted 3 or 4 turkeys, searching through the winter snow for the remnants of the winter foliage. Gene quickly grabbed his gun from his holster, then fired off two shots._

"_I don't believe it, Gene….I thought I was fast…" Johathan later told me he was flabbergasted by Gene's ability with a gun, then smiled as he added, "I immediately learned never to bet against him or Champ again."_

_Not to be outdone, Johathan finally killed a young tom turkey in the thickets near my father's cabin, then one at the rear of the canyon. By the time the two men climbed back up to the trail, each had 3 turkeys in their tow. I pretended to be reading when Gene and Johathan came back to town, but I didn't fool Gene when he came upstairs._

"_Kasey, I'm back."_

_I looked up from my book, then smiled, relieved as I saw my fiancé holding up 3 fat gobblers._

"_Gene, I'm so proud of you, Father Gregory will be able to have more families to Thanksgiving dinner this year", I said, lurching to my feet and giving him a hug. He just laughed, then tightened his arms around me._

"_Thank you, honey…..but I didn't' do it all by myself….Johathan got 3 also." He told me, then frowned as he saw my book._

"_Kasey, how did you get this…isn't the bookcase down stairs?"_

_I flushed as I realized he knew I snuck down the short flight of stairs to the office. Deciding to beat him to the truth, I looked him in the eye._

"_Yes, Gene……I thought I heard someone at the door and I went down stairs. I didn't see anyone, so I grabbed a book and came back up here. I was careful, and it doesn't hurt that much anymore. I'm sorry …"_

_He sighed, then kissed my cheek and said, "I know you are, honey..but Doc said no stairs by yourself for at least another week."_

_Penitent, I nodded. "I promise, love….only with you…."_

"_Hey, Gene…..what do you want me to do with the birds?" I laughed as Gene swung me up in his arms and carried me down the stairs._

"_We can take them over to the rectory for Father Joseph and Mamacita to prepare." He told his friend. Johathan smiled a hello at me as Gene placed me gently in my office chair._

"_Told you we'd bag a couple of birds, Kasey….do you think 6 are enough?"_

"Six? Auntie, that's pretty good!" Melly said enthusiastically, draining her cup of cider.

Just then there was a knocking at the front door, and when Rick opened it, a worried looking Rudy and Chief Rob stood on the porch.


	6. Chapter 6

"Well, you guys made it just in time…" he began, seeing the snow starting to fall. Immediately Rudy interrupted him.

"Did Oscar come back here?"

Rick shook his head. "No, I haven't seen Dad since you guys left this morning….did he tell you he was going home early?"

"No, we got separated when the snow started falling up above Horseback Falls…He thought he heard a turkey, and when I turned to tell Rob, he disappeared."

"Maybe he zigged when you guys zagged…did you radio him?" Rick asked, concerned, and Rob nodded as Rick beckoned them to come inside..

"Yes, and I thought I heard a voice, then his signal died. We looked for about an hour, then we figured that maybe he'd headed back here. My jeep was gone from where I parked it at the foot of Switchback Trail, then Rudy spotted it near the top of Lost Valley. When we reached it, I found it was out of gas. That's when we decided to come back here."

"That's weird, but, Dad knows enough to take shelter when the weather's bad, so let me get my coat on and…" Rick said, just as A.J. came to the door, his sister-in-law behind him.

"Hey, guys, glad you're back…what's wrong?" he asked, seeing the expression on Rudy's face.

"Oscar's missing, so we came here first to see if he made it home." The old doctor explained somberly. Rob saw his worry, and tried to reassure him.

"Rick's right, Rudy…Oscar's smart enough to find shelter…maybe his watch was damaged."

"I don't know, son….it was just strange the way he disappeared." Rudy replied, then coughed. At once Rick gently pushed him into a chair.

"You need to get some hot coffee into you, A.J. and I 'll will go with Rob to find Dad." As the older man tried to protest, he sneezed, catching Laurie's attention.

"Oh, no, you're not going anywhere but a warm bed, Rudy….you're coming down with a cold. The guys'll find him, and we need you to be here when they do." She told him firmly. Rudy started to shake his head, then started to cough.

"All right, Missy, you win….but only until they find Oscar…." He caught his breath, then gratefully accepted the steaming cup of coffee Linda brought him.

"Laurie, can you call and see if Steve and Jaime are back yet, and also tell Robbie what's happened." Rick asked, detouring into the kitchen for a thermos and filling it with hot coffee.

"Yes, love…." Laurie sighed, then took the thermos from him, putting it in a rucksack with a couple of bottles of water. "There you go, just in case…."

"Thank you, sweetheart….and don't worry, we'll find Dad." Rick reassured his wife, giving her a hug. She slipped an arm around him . "I know you will, Rick….just be careful…something doesn't feel right."

"I will, Laurie, now mind Mom and Rudy." He told her, kissing her cheek. She nodded, walking him to the door, only for Rob to stop them both in their tracks.

"No go, Rick… I thought we'd take your truck, ….but there's no way we'll go anywhere in this-look."

Opening the door, he gestured outside, and the older Simon's heart sank.

A howling wind had come up, blowing falling snow before it. He tried to peer through the white out conditions, but couldn't even see the end of the driveway.

"We'll have to wait until it lets up, guys…" He sighed, not wanting to meet Laurie or Linda's gaze.

"You're right, Dad'll have gotten in out of this, love….he wouldn't want you or A.J. or Rob out in this." Relieved, Rick looked over at his wife, as Linda echoed her words.

"There's no way you could find him in this….let's keep trying Oscar's transmitter, and in the meantime maybe we can track him with Rudy's locator."

"Thank you, Linny." A.J. gave her a squeeze as Rick pulled Laurie into his embrace.

"That's my girl…come one, let's see if Robbie can get us something better to get up the mountain with …."

Unfortunately, the storm seemingly increased in volume and the rescue attempt was delayed, causing the concern with finding the older man to grow. Rick was heartened by his wife's calm, first in trying to be encouraging with his mother, then talking to the younger Simons. Melly started to cry when darkness fell, blaming herself for her "Grandpa Oscar" being in danger.

"I wish I hadn't made such a big deal about it…I don't want him to die!" she burst out, sobbing.

"Melly, who said your Grandpa's going to die?" Linda spoke firmly to her daughter, as A.J. shook his head.

"But it's so cold out…Uncle Rudy's even sick…what if he freezes?" Melly sniffed, and A.J. put his arm around her.

"Now, your Grandpa is a tough man, he'll be all right. As soon as if lightens up, we'll find him."

As dawn approached, the snow seemed to decrease, and by daybreak, was light enough that Chief Rob declared it was safe to go out.

"Pop, Rob and I'll follow you…just park at the bottom of Switchback Trail…" Robbie added, stopping to give his mother a hug.

"Be careful, love.." Laurie told Rick with a kiss , and he enveloped her in an embrace.

"We will, darlin'…..We'll call and check in, in an hour or so, as soon as we find Dad…" Rick assured her.

Nevertheless, as Rick and A.J. carefully headed down the highway, A.J. double-checked his transmitter.

"Just in case, Rick."

Driving slowly to avoid sliding off the road, the two brothers still outpaced Robbie's sheriff's car as they drove past the Cultural Center. Turning onto Lost Valley Road, Rick was hard-put to avoid the drifts of snow that narrowed the highway to one lane. Approaching Switchback Trail, A.J. peered at the rear view mirror, then frowned.

"Rick, I don't see Robbie's car. Do you think they took the back way in?"

"Don't think so…let me pull over and we'll radio them." Rick decided, then drove along until he reached the turnout at the bottom of the trail. Parking as far off the pavement as he could, Rick turned off the motor, then cracked his window as A.J. turned on his transmitter.

"Robbie, can you hear me?", he began, then Rick's watch beeped.

"Rob?" he answered, only to hear a faint voice through static.

"Rick…we're off the road..ice…" Chief Rob started to reply, then he faded as Rick called, "Rob…change frequencies…you're not coming in…"

"Pop…stay where you are..wind picking up." Robbie's voice suddenly came in clear, as both Simons felt a gust hit the pick up truck.

"Robbie…are you and Rob okay?" Rick answered, worried that his son had had an accident.

"We're all right, Pop..but we slid off the road just before the Center…we'll try to .." the younger Simon responded, then broke off as the wind drowned out his words. In vain A.J. tried to raise them, but to no avail.

"Let me call Laurie…see if Steve and Jaime are back." Rick decided. At once snow started to fall again, and A.J. shook his head.

"We don't have time, Rick…we'd better go up the trail and see if we can find Dad before we get stuck in here."

"You're right, A.J….grab the packs and I'll get the flashlights." Rick agreed, climbing stiffly out of his truck. His brother followed, and after locking up the vehicle, shouldered a small backpack filled with emergency supplies. Rick left a note wrapped in plastic and secured it under the windshield wipers.

Starting up the trail, Rick was hard put to stay upright as the wind changed direction and speed, nearly knocking him off his feet. Clinging to the rock face of the narrow trail, Rick and A.J. took turns calling for Oscar as they made their way up the face of the mountain.

With the gusts of sleet and snow drowning all sound out around them, neither Simon heard the frantic beeping from their transmitters as they headed towards the top of the trail.

"Nothing yet, Laurie?" Linda asked, bringing two cups of tea into the living room a few hours later. Laurie looked up from her transmitter, worry in her expression.

"No, Sis….just static. They're late checking in, but it's like Rudy told us…wherever the guys are, there's too much nickel in the hills….." she explained, only for a faint sound to come from her watch.

"Maybe that's them?" Linda brightened, as Laurie turned up the volume.

"Rick? Darling….are you there?"


	7. Chapter 7

As the three men huddled together for warmth while waiting for rescue, Jaime Austin pulled the trapped men's location off Rudy's computer, then printed the coordinates out for the rescuers to use.

"Okay ladies, stay with Rudy, whatever you do…I don't like the thought of someone loose in the vicinity willing to kill to get revenge.." Rob warned the Simons, as Cecilia nodded.

"We'll be all right, Rob…just be careful.."

"We should stop at the Center to get some more gas, Dad", Robbie stated, and the tribal chief agreed.

'Good idea, son…now, Light…keep this door locked..we'll be back as soon as we can."

"I will, Rob….if Towne and Temple manage to make it here, I'll let him know what's going on." She assured him, then let the rescue party out, dead bolting the door behind them.

For a few minutes Jaime and the Simons busied themselves in straightening things up, then Laurie heated some soup for Linda to take in to Rudy.

"Mom, can I go sit with Uncle Rudy?" Melly appeared in the kitchen, and Linda gratefully handed over the tray holding a steaming bowl.

"Would you, honey? I think your Uncle will feel better with you there."

"Thanks, Mom….I hope he will." The youngest Simon nodded, then carefully carried it down the hall.

After a few hours, Jaime and Linda insisted on going on and feeding the animals while Laurie monitored her transmitter and let Ceci and Robin and Melly use Rick's office.

"This way you can finish making your Christmas presents and gift tags, it's better then just sitting around and worrying." She told them matter-of-factly, trying to hide her own nervousness.

"You're right, Auntie.." Ceci admitted, then shooed her brother and sister into the room.

Laurie sighed, then glancing through the window on the side of the house, thought she saw someone walking towards the front gate.

"Honey….are you expecting someone?" Cecilia stuck her head in the hallway, dishtowel in hand.

"No…but maybe Robbie sent one of his deputies to bring word..you know, in case he couldn't get through?" Laurie guessed. She came into the living room and went to the entry way as her mother-in-law followed. Opening the door, she peered out at the light snow falling, then looked out to see who was out there. Not seeing anyone at the gate, she called out, "Is there anyone there?"

"I don't know, Laurie…..I did see someone crossing the driveway.." Cecilia said, coming up behind her. After gazing around, Laurie shook her head, then closed and locked the door.

"That was weird…" she said, following the older woman to the kitchen. Linda was there, making sandwiches as Jaime pulled plates and cups out of the cupboards.

"Do we have enough eggs for deviled eggs, Mom?" Laurie asked, seeing her stop to wipe her eyes. Cecilia managed a weak smile.

"Considering the way the boys eat them, I could use another dozen….I'll get my coat on …" she began, and Laurie shook her head.

"No, Mom…it's too cold out for you…I'll go to the barn and come right back……."

Minutes later, she bundled herself into a coat and muffler and shooed Jack away from the door.

"No, little guy... you stay in here..." Laurie smiled at the bark Jack gave, then opened the back door and carefully went down the steps, Jaime's voice calling out, "Be careful, the walk is slippery".

Hurrying through the drifts of snow and ice, Laurie reached the barn door, pulling on the latch, then forcing it open. Going inside, she flicked on a light, then was surprised to find the horses agitated, pacing and whinnying.

"What is it, guys…" she asked, carefully leaving the door ajar, then picking up a basket from next to the chicken coop. Suddenly the light went out, plunging the barn interior into darkness.

"What the …" Laurie groaned, backing up carefully, then tentatively reaching for the emergency flashlight they kept next to the door. Her hand fumbled for the barrel of the light, then instantly an arm came around her neck, startling her into a scream, "Help!"

Immediately a hand was over her mouth, and a young voice threatened, "Quiet, or I'll strangle you!"

Disregarding the threat, Laurie stomped her boot heel into her attackers foot, causing him to swear as she drove her elbow backwards into his stomach. Almost as a reflex the arm dropped away from her, only to grab at her again as she lunged forward for the barn door.

"No you don't, Mrs. Simon!" This time fingers grasped her hair, and Laurie cried out as she was jerked against a wiry form, then lifted up and thrown over a horse's body. "Let me go!" she yelled, hanging face first over the saddle, as her captor flung open the barn door. As she struggled to free herself from his grasp, he dragged the horse out into the snow, then tried to vault onto the saddle.

"Laurie!" Jaime's voice called from the back door of the ranch, and Laurie used the distraction to let herself become a dead weight, causing the person holding her to let go.

As she dropped onto the ground, Laurie realized it was her horse the attacker had taken, and yelled, "Lightening!". Bucking and twisting, the young mount reacted to the stranger on his back by rearing up, and threw him into a snowdrift. Catching her breath, Laurie called to Jaime, "Grab a rope, before this guy gets away….I bet he's the one who attacked the guys!"

"You mean, killed your husband and brother and uncle!" came the man's voice, as he attempted to get to his feet. Suddenly a rope whistled through the icy air and landed around the attackers upper body, then Jaime speedily dragged the man down and tied him up as Laurie managed to get to her feet and join her friend.

"Honey, are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Linda came running as Jaime pulled the man into the patio, then bionically roped him to one of the supports.

"No..just knocked the breath out of me….." Laurie began, as Cecilia joined them.

"What did he say, Laurie? Did he say he killed Rick and A.J. and …Oscar?" she asked angrily.

"Yes, I watched them die, same as with my brother! It's too late, Mrs. Simon….you can take me to jail and I'll still get my revenge!" the man hollered as he struggled against the rope binding him.

"Who is he, Laurie?" Cecilia asked, furious. At first Laurie shook her head. "I don't know, Mom…wait a minute…" she stopped, then a look of horror appeared on her face.

"Oh, no….this is Peter Rodriquez…..his brother tried to kill Rick and A.J. and I….I can't believe it…..why, Peter? Why did you try to kill me? And my family?"

"I already told you, Mrs. Simon….you helped put my brother in prison when I needed him, then your husband helped the police kill him like a dog!" Rodriquez shouted. Laurie shook her head in disgust.

"So you ended up wanting to be a killer just like your brother? You can't blame anyone but him for how he died, and now you'd better hope Rick and A.J. and Dad live, because otherwise you'll end up in prison for the rest of your life!" Turning in anger to Linda, she told her, "Call Robbie, will you, sis? Let him know this jerk needs to go to jail after he finds the guys…"

"Sure, honey….but let's get you in, I want Rudy to make sure he didn't hurt you…" Linda advised, putting a hand on Laurie's shoulder.

While Jaime kept an eye on Rodriquez from the kitchen window, Linda and Cecilia made Laurie change her wet clothes and helped her into bed A worried Rudy came in to check her out and shook his head at the bruises already forming on her neck..

"Does this hurt, Missy?" he asked, pressing gently on first her face, then checking for any lumps on her scalp. Noting she winced as he looked at the back of her head, Rudy helped her sit back against the headboard.

"Thank God you were able to defend yourself, honey, I hate to think what might have happened if Jaime hadn't heard you…" he began, and Laurie leaned forward suddenly, a panicky look on her face.

"Rudy…something's wrong….the guys are in trouble….they're so cold.."

Quickly the older man wrapped a blanket around her, then sat next to her and quietly told her, "Just breathe, Missy…it's all right…tell me what you see…"

Taking a couple of deep breaths, Laurie closed her eyes, then said, "they're getting sleepy…having trouble keeping warm…don't sleep, darling…please…."


	8. Chapter 8

"Anything, Rick?" A.J. yawned, then shifted position as a semi-conscious Oscar burrowed into his parka.

"No…too much iron in the rocks, I guess." Rick answered, trying not to copy his brother. For the last hour it had been an effort just to move around and stay warm. Twice he had raised up and knocked ice from around the backpacks in the cave opening, allowing icy but fresh air into the small cavern. Now he realized it was getting stuffy, but he was finally warm and didn't feel like getting up.

"Well, try again in a few minutes….Rick." A.J. murmured, then his eyes began to close.

"No you don't, A.J….." Rick poked him, then took a scraping of ice and flicked it into the younger Simon's face. At once A.J. opened his eyes, and glared at Rick.

"You are asking for it, big brother.."

"Yeah, well, wait until we get home…" Rick gave up and yawned, and saw A.J. chuckle weakly as he slumped against the cavern wall.

"Maybe just a minute.."

Against his better judgment, Rick let him start to doze off, then his own eyes started to close.

"_I'll just rest …..Robbie will be here soon.. bet they're just outside the opening.." _he decided.

"_Rick!"_

Wearily he opened his eyes, then seeing the other men dozing, began to close his, only to hear his name called again.

"_Rick, Rick!"_

"What ….who's there?" he murmured, turning his head dazedly. At first he thought there was snow falling in the cramped space, then …

"_Son….don't go to sleep….to sleep is to die…"_

In front of him, a grave look on his face, was the image of Chief Joseph.

"Chief?" Rick choked, thinking he was dreaming.

"_Don't give up, my son….your brother and Oscar need you….and your family. If you sleep, others will die." _

Rick gaped at him, then shook his head.

"I must be dreaming….you're not here, Chief…"

A smile appeared on the older man's face, then quickly disappeared.

"_Only my spirit is here, Rick….to warn you what may happen if you do not stay awake. " _he said in a strong voice.

Bewildered, Rick gazed over at A.J., only to see him and Oscar slumped over, unconscious.

"But how, Chief….Robbie and Steve and Rob will be here in a moment." Rick replied, groggily,then was surprised to see the spirit point against the cave wall.

"_If you do not stay awake, Rick…great heartache will occur."_

As if watching a movie, He watched as his family and friends gathered in the church graveyard, around 3 mounds of earth. He winced as he caught sight of his mother, daughter and wife. Laurie had an arm around Cecilia Simon, while Robin dabbed tears from her eyes.

"_I never wanted to go through this again, Laurie…why…why did they have to die.." his mother cried. Behind her, Linda stood stone-faced, as a shaken Father Nick closed his Bible, then came forward to them._

"_I don't know why, Cecilia…why Rick and A.J. gave their lives to save Oscar…why they were the victims of such hate and anger…" he told them sorrowfully. At that a wail came from the back of the group, and Rick saw his niece Melly crumple against her cousin Ricky._

"_It was my fault, Grandma….all my fault." _

"_No, honey, no…it wasn't anything you did, sweet." Laurie put an arm around her, then broke down as the young girl tore away from her and ran from the graveside._

"Oh..no…Sweetheart…don't cry…" he began, then saw the scene disappear, to be replaced by the image of Robbie shaking his head as he helped pack pictures away in a box. His face was haggard, and Rick was horrified to see his son's hands tremble as he closed up the box.

"_All these memories, Ramona…Pop's life…seems like it was just reduced to old photos." He said, sadly. His daughter-in-law nodded, then spoke to someone out of sight._

"_Mom…we have to leave…it'll be dark soon."_

"_All right, honey, let me have just one more ride…" Laurie came into view again, and Rick gasped._

_Gone was his smiling wife, in her place was a pale, thin woman with white hair. Clad in a faded jacket and jeans, Laurie paused to kiss Robbie and Ramona on the cheek, then headed for the kitchen, saying, "I'll just take a quick ride around the yard before we load Lightening in the trailer."_

At once Rick had a cold feeling in his stomach, and he immediately knew what was going to happen next. "No…Chief.." he murmured, then he felt Oscar stir against him.

"_I'm sorry, my son…these are shadows of what may happen….if you don't fight to save yourself…and Oscar and A.J…." Chief Joseph's quiet voice replied._

Again the scene in front of his eyes shifted, and with growing fear he saw Laurie lead the stallion out of the barn to the mounting post. Climbing on, she started to ride to the training ring, only for a rabbit to run in front of the horse. Startled, Lightening reared up, and as if in slow motion, Laurie flew off her mount with a scream, then landed with a thud on the hard ground.

"Laurie! Laurie!" Rick hollered, as his son ran out of the house, calling to Ramona, "Call the hospital! Tell them we need an ambulance…." As Robbie knelt next to his mother's still form, Rick turned to the Chief, frantically begging, "please let her be alright…please, Chief."

"Rick…don't sleep, darling…." Now Laurie's voice was echoing in his ears, and he sat up as her call faded..

"Rick? What's wrong…wake up!"

Suddenly the pictures were gone from in front of Rick's eyes, and he turned to see both Oscar and A.J. stirring.

"Chief Joseph was here….he told me we have to get out of here!" he blurted, getting to his feet and shuffling to the iced-in opening of the cave. Grasping one of the backpack handles, he pulled first one, then the other out of the mouth of the cave, letting in a blast of frigid air.

"Rick, close that up…it's freezing out there!" A.J. groaned, then he stopped when he realized how dizzy he was.

"Rick…..how long were we out?" he asked. Rick managed a grin as he pulled rocks and debris away from the cavern entrance.

"Long enough, little brother..long enough. Come on, let's get out of here…" he began, then a faint shout caught his ear.

"Pop! Uncle Oscar?" "A.J.!"

"In here! We're in here, Robbie!" Rick called back, then Oscar came to enough to say, "Thank God you woke us up, son….I thought I was talking to Joseph…he was telling someone we would die if we didn't get out of here…"

At first Rick longed to tell of his "dream", but contented himself by explaining to the older man, "I think we had too much carbon dioxide in here, Dad…it can make you hear things ..."

Before he could say anything else, Robbie stuck his head inside the cave, then crawled in as Rick opened his arms and tightly hugged his son . "Thank God you came …." he choked, his emotions raw from his "vision". He felt Robbie let out a relieved sigh, then whisper, "Thank God I found you, Pop.….Mom had a premonition….I thought.."

"Never mind, son....let's get out of here..." Rick managed, releasing his embrace, then helping Oscar up. A.J. patted Robbie's shoulder as he got to his feet and preceded his nephew out of the cave, squinting as the fading winter light hit him in the eyes.

"Whoa…how long have we been in there?" he gasped, as the icy wind blew against them. Steve caught him as a gust knocked him sideways.

"About six or seven hours, A.J…..we were beginning to worry…" the former colonel told him, helping him regain his footing.

"You were beginning to worry?" Rick quipped, trying not to think about what he had seen. He had one of Oscar's arms and Rob had the other, as the older man was struggling to move through the snowdrifts. Only with the help of both men were they able to get Oscar down the hill to where Robbie's warm cruiser waited. Soon all six men were making their way down to the hospital, where Dr. Allen insisted on Oscar being admitted due to his long exposure to the cold. As the others waited to be checked out, Steve told Rick about the attack on Laurie by Peter Rodriquez.

"If she hadn't been able to get Lightning to buck the jerk off…well…I'm glad Jaime was able to hear her call out." Steve finished. Rick was heartsick at what almost happened to his wife.

"I never thought we'd have to worry about that kid….I'm hoping he'll be locked up where he can't ever come after us." He growled.

"Don't worry, Pop..Andy came and relieved Aunt Jaime of him…." Robbie explained, just as Rick's transmitter beeped.

"Rick, love?" Laurie's voice quavered as Rick quickly hit answer on his watch, then replied, "I'm alright, darlin'….are you okay?"

"Oh, Rick….yes…now that I can hear you…. I had such an awful premonition….I was afraid I'd lose you guys." She sniffed. Rick's heart melted.

"Oh, sweetheart….we're okay, and we'll be home as soon as we can." He said, his own tone shaky.

"Thank you, darling….I've so missed you." Laurie cleared her throat, then smiled when Rick added, "I've missed my girl, too…now stay warm and we'll signal when we're almost there."

Scarcely had he ended his transmission when Dr. Allen came out of the trauma center, and the men stood up.

"Well, I think you guys are a pretty lucky bunch….Despite Oscar's being knocked around, he only has a slight concussion and some bruises. He's insisting on going home, though, and if it weren't Christmas …" he began, soberly.

"We'll see that he gets plenty of rest, Allen…" Rick interrupted, knowing his mother would be upset if he wasn't under her careful eye. At that the doctor chuckled.

"I imagine he will….besides, Linda or Rudy will be able to help Cecilia with him. Let me just have him watched for an hour, then you can take him back to the ranch."

"Thanks, Doc….let me call Mom and let them know we're going to be on our way soon." Rick replied, gratefully.

Even with the reservation snowplow in front of them, it was almost midnight before Robbie's police cruiser and Rick's truck arrived at the ranch. Through the light snow that was falling, Rick could see every Christmas light was on to greet them, and tears filled his eyes.

"Anyone want to bet whose out on the porch first?" . Steve began, breaking them up.

Rick grinned and wiped his eyes as Chief Rob shook his head wryly.

"That's a sure one…Light probably is opening the door right…"

"Now." Rick finished, as Steve turned into the driveway. Ahead of them he could see his wife coming out of the house, followed by his mother and Linda. At once all Rick's fatigue left him, and he scarcely waited for his friend to stop before he vaulted out the passenger door.

"Rick!"

In a moment his arms were around Laurie, as they clung to each other tightly. Rick felt his wife's tears on his face, and he rocked her in his embrace.

"Shhh, sweetheart…don't cry…I'm here…" he murmured, kissing her all over her face.

"I won't …but I was so scared….I don't want Christmas without you!" she replied, her voice quavering.

"Me neither, darlin'…" he told her, then released her to hug Linda then Cecilia, who tearfully greeted him, then insisted he get in out of the snow.

"I don't want you catching cold too….Oscar's sneezing as it is.." she grumbled, but her face relaxed as they followed the older man into the house.

Soon Rudy had Oscar resting in one of the guest rooms, being watched over by Cecilia, while A.J. and Linda took over the other one. Rick gave in to his wife and let Steve and Robbie lock up the barn as everyone else helped get all the gifts under the tree.

"There….looks like there were a few good boys and girls this year.." Rudy teased. Rick just laughed as he lounged in his easy chair, Laurie tucked in beside him with a couple of blankets over them both..

'Yes, they've been very well behaved…although I'm not so sure about this one..".he teased, getting a pouty look from his wife.

"I'll have you know I've been extra good for Santa this year…and he knows it too!" she proclaimed, then giggled as Rick blew a raspberry on her neck and replied, "Yes, he does!"

"All right, you two…Santa won't come tomorrow night if you don't get some rest." Came Cecilia's voice from the bedroom. At that Steve and Jaime started laughing, only for Oscar to chime in "That means you two!"

"Yes, Dad.." Laurie replied, smiling as Robbie came over to help her up, then give her and Rick a hug. As she turned to say good night to the Austin's, Rick winked at his son.

"Everything set for tomorrow, son?"

"I pick them up at 10, Pop…so I'll leave right after breakfast." Robbie whispered, then said his good nights as his parents handed him the blankets and went down the hall.

When the door clicked shut, Steve turned to his godson, all levity gone from his face.

"Talk about a Christmas miracle, Robbie." He said, as Jaime nodded.

"Lots of them, Uncle Steve…Uncle Oscar knocking the gun from Rodriguez, Mom fighting him off, then knowing when Pop was in trouble…" Robbie sighed, then hugged both of them.

"And for my godparents, who are always there for us…."

"Always, Robbie…" Steve promised, emotionally, as Jaime added, "We'll do anything for our family, anything."

"Like you said, Uncle Steve.." Robbie replied, wiping his eyes. "We had our Christmas miracle, and we get to celebrate it all over again tomorrow!"


	9. Chapter 9

"Chief Rob, you found one?"

Melly's voice carried throughout the house, and A.J. and Linda couldn't hide their smiles as the tribal chief led a large turkey into the ranch house. Because of the heavy snow, everyone had "camped out" in the living room, so A.J. had volunteered to make breakfast. Now the crowd of family and friends laughed as the bird trotted through the room, then stopped in front of the teenager.

"See, honey, your Aunt's story was for real….this fine Tom was rummaging for food in the foliage around the entrance to Lost Valley…" Rob explained. As if seconding him, the turkey let out a "gobble, gobble", and everyone started to laugh.

"Poor guy, he must be hungry, to be out in this cold.." she exclaimed, pulling some popcorn from a bowl on the coffee table and holding it out.

"Oh, Melly, I don't think .." A.J. started to say, then stopped as the hungry bird daintily pecked it out of her hand.

"Well, will you look at that.." Rudy came into the living room, followed by Oscar and Cecilia. "Do we need another turkey for dinner?"

"No, he's not the kind you eat, is he, Chief?" Melly protested, alarmed. Before Rob could reply, Oscar spoke up.

"No, Melly…I think he wouldn't make a good dinner, besides, hen turkeys are much tastier. I think old Tom here would rather keep the chickens company, wouldn't you say, Rick?"

Lounging in his easy chair, Rick grinned at the clever way his father-in-law passed the question off to him. "You're right, Dad…why don't we give him a reprieve and put him in the barn?"

"Softy!" A.J. hissed at his brother, then sighed as his daughter went to hug her uncle and grandfather.

"Thanks, Uncle Rick, thanks, Grandpa…I'll make sure he has a nice place to stay with the chickens."

"Did I hear we have a new pet?" Laurie came out of the kitchen, then received a hug from Melly.

"Yes, Auntie…you were right….and Grandpa says he wouldn't be a good dinner, so I'm going to put him in the barn."

Seeing the smirk on her husband's face, Laurie smiled at her niece, then replied, "Well, your Grandpa is always right, so let me show you where to put him, then we can bring in some eggs for breakfast tomorrow."

"Cool!" Melly took the rope from Rob, then importantly led the docile bird out of the room, followed by Laurie, who stopped to drop a kiss on her father, then Rick.

"You guys are so funny, wait until Robbie hears about this.." she laughed, then left the room. Behind her back, Rick rubbed his hands in anticipation.

"Thanks, Dad….I was hoping to distract her for a few minutes, Robbie's going to call as soon as he pulls in the driveway."

"She's going to be so surprised, Rick…" Cecilia beamed, as Oscar added, "I'm glad you found him, Rob. I hate to see Melly disappointed after…well…"

"You're the reason I found the turkey, Oscar…I had to bring back your car anyway, and that's where I spotted the flock.." Rob explained, a chagrined look on his face. "Actually, I shot 3 of them, they're at the Center kitchens being prepared for the community Thanksgiving dinner. This one moved a little faster then the others, so I decided he might find a good home here."

"That was a great idea," Oscar began, then the phone rang. At once Rick picked it up, then smiled as he heard his son's voice.

"Dad, we're here…"

A few minutes later, Laurie and Melly came back into the house, only to find Rick in the kitchen, frowning as he fished around in the refrigerator.

"Rick, what are you looking for? Do you want me to fix you a snack?" she asked, only to see him shake his head.

"Nope, I don't see what I want in here…." He said, then straightened up as Melly said, "Do you want some cookies, Uncle Rick? Mom brought a plate full."

"No..that's not it, honey…let's look in the living room, maybe I'll find what I'm missing in there."

Letting Melly proceed ahead of them, Rick took his wife's hand, saying, "I don't know what I want…maybe we'll find it on the table."

"On the table….do you mean you want some chips, darling? Because I didn't make the dip yet…" she began as they went past the dining table.

"No, that's not what I want, Laurie, maybe it's here?" he told her, then held the door open for her as she stepped back into the front room.

"Well, love, there's some…" Laurie began, then let out a cry, "Robin!"

"Mama!" In front of her, Robin Whitecloud stood, then opened her arms as Laurie reached for her daughter. Behind his wife, Ian waited to greet his father-in-law as Petey and Katie hugged their cousins.

"Sweet…when did you get here? I've missed you so…but.." Laurie was openly crying as Robin explained, "Pop fixed for us to come as a surprise…it's just too cold in Chicago, Mama…and when Ian said he wasn't needed until New Year…."

"I figured we needed some vacation time, Pop….." Ian smiled as Rick gave him a nod and a grin.

"That's my son-in-law…."

"Yes..he learned from the best.." Laurie beamed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"And don't you forget it, darlin'…." Rick grinned, wrapping an arm around both his "girls".

"Oh, we won't, Pop…" Robin laughed, as her mother kissed his cheek.

"Speaking of the best…." Ramona Simon came in with a platter of snacks, including Rick's favorite flautas. Immediately there was a mock fight between Robbie and his two fathers, as to who got first crack at the treats.

"I'll settle this fair and square.." Oscar decreed, then he authoritatively reached over and snagged one of the steaming tortilla rolls. Amid the laughter, Rick suddenly realized how close they had come to losing him.

"_I'll never take him or A.J. for granted again….or any of my family." _

"Me neither, Rick."

Startled, he turned to see a thoughtful-looking A.J., and he gratefully slung an arm around him.

"When did you start reading my mind, little brother?", he quipped, and A.J. grinned.

"When you backed off and let Dad have the first flauta…." He replied, then handed Rick one of them.

"I was just thinking how much we have to celebrate, and how lucky I am to have …well…" Rick found himself lost for words as his emotions got the best of him.

"Jacky, drop that…it's not good for you!"

Racing into the room, Jack spotted Laurie, and immediately leaped into her lap, a chicken wing in his mouth. Instantly she picked up a cookie, then waved it in front of the little dog, who dropped the piece of chicken and snatched the goodie from her hand.

"There he is….whew!" Ricky and Andy came barreling in and stopped in their tracks when they saw Jack happily chewing his cookie.

"Sorry, Auntie Laurie…he was too fast for us.." Ricky began….as Andy started to laugh.

"You mean, he and his paw were too fast…"

The merriment continued as the younger Simons banished their parents to the living room while they finished preparing snacks and dinner. Rick noticed his wife waited until Cecilia and Oscar went to their room to rest, then headed down the hall to their bedroom.

"Son, can you make sure we have enough logs for the fire?" he asked Robbie, who had just brought in the last load of presents for the tree.

"Sure, Pop…Andy brought some of those cinnamon cones, too, that'll make the fire last longer." He replied, then grinned as his father needled, "and cover up some of the doggie smell too."

"That too, Pop." Robbie laughed, then soberly added, "By the way, Peter Rodriquez is still mouthing off about "finishing what he started". I'll be glad when they come from Tucson to pick him up for the arraignment. I know it's the holidays and all…but Andy and Pablo say he's driving them nuts with his behavior."

Rick frowned, then slung an arm around his son's shoulders. "Don't worry, Robbie..maybe I ought to call Ron, he should be able to expedite his transfer. He should be back in his office for a little while, let me call him now."

Deciding to first check on his wife, Rick went to knock on the bedroom door, just as Laurie opened it, then without a word put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Oh…I should have come in here sooner, is that it?" he teased, walking her backwards into the room and kicking the door shut.

"Yes, darling…so I could thank you …what a lovely surprise…Thank you , Rick…for bringing my baby home for Christmas." She told him between kisses.

"Anything for my sweetheart.." Rick managed, leading her to the bed, then returning her affections. Minutes passed before the sound of car doors finally interrupted them, making Rick grumble, "Someone has lousy timing…will I ever get to be alone this holiday with you?."

Giggling, Laurie sat up, dropping one more kiss on her husband before letting him give her a hand up. "After Santa comes...I promise, love."

"He'd better hurry...." he chuckled wryly.

As Rick and Laurie came back into the living room, they welcomed the arrival of Towne and Temple Brown, who had been celebrating their wedding anniversary in San Diego.

"How was your second honeymoon, Temple?" Laurie asked, taking her friend's wet coat.

"Nice until we hit this white stuff." She shivered, a playful smile on her lips. Beside her, Towne grumbled about the traffic.

"You'd think people around here had never had snow in their lives…yeesh!"

"Well, here's something to warm you up, Towne.." Rick handed him a mug, while Laurie brought some hot tea for Temple.

"Oh, thanks, buddy…now you sit down and tell me about this loon who tried to kill you and the guys?" she asked, getting a startled look from the two Simons.

"How did you know about Rodriquez…..this just happened 3 days ago." Rick blurted.

Towne shook his head. "Seems this guy gave an interview to some news rag last week, railing about growing up without a father figure because of his brother's death. Rodriquez apparently mentioned both of you by name, then shut up the minute the interviewer asked about his brother's crimes. We didn't see the paper until 2 days ago, but when Temple saw the article at breakfast, she called up the newspaper and found out that Rodriquez had mentioned "burying his past", then skipped town. By the time we called here, that's when we found out what had happened."

"Well, he's hopefully going to be gone for a long time." Rick sighed, going to his office.

By the time he got off the phone with Ron Johnson, he was furious, but tried to control his temper as he came out into the living room.

"Rick, something's wrong." Steve was standing in the middle of the room, a worried look on his face. Rick felt a prickle of fear run down his neck. "What is it, pal?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Robbie just got a call from the station; Andy says Rodriquez was threatening to kill himself. When the other deputy went to try to calm him down, Rodriquez managed to reach through the bars and grab him around the throat. By the time Andy got in there, the jerk had Pablo up against the cell and was threatening to kill him. Robbie's gone to try and talk him out of it, but I'm afraid he's going to try to hurt Robbie to get back at you and Laurie."

Rick's fury returned, and instantly he knew he'd have to act fast. "Steve, I think you're right, we haven't a moment to lose. I need you to come with me…., I'll explain on the way."

Seeing Laurie pause in the dining room doorway, he turned towards her. "Sweetheart, call Ron for me, tell him to get me some backup, then meet us at the Silver Rock station, and hurry!"

"I will, darling.." she returned, then reached out and gave him a quick hug. "Be careful, love….come back safe with Robbie…"

"Love you…" He whispered, then kissed her and headed out the door, as Steve hugged both Laurie and Jaime. Quickly the two men ran to Rick's truck, as Oscar called out, "Don't let that little fiend get the drop on you, he likes to hide then attack!"

"Thanks, ..we'll be back…" Steve returned, then held on as Rick gunned his vehicle onto the highway.

All the way into town, Rick and Steve brainstormed as to the best way to catch Rodriquez by surprise.

"I still say you come in the front, Rick, and I'll pop the door and grab his arm…" Steve insisted as they pulled up to the back of the police station. Turning on his watch, Rick murmured, "Robbie, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Pop….Rodriquez is to the left of the back door..he has Pablo by the throat and he has my gun. Andy and I were ordered to the floor…." Robbie whispered, then Rodriquez's voice interrupted him.

"Hey, I said no talking…except when I want you to call your father and mother, understand? Or else…" A loud gasp let the listeners know the would-be murderer had increased the pressure on the younger deputies neck.

"What ever you say, Rodriquez…." Robbie's even tone made Rick swallow hard; his brave son could keep his cool better then his father.

"Okay, Steve…." Rick nodded at his friend, knowing the former colonel had one shot at disarming Rodriquez.

In a flash Steve got to his feet in one motion, then disappeared around the corner of the building. Immediately Rick went the other way, then quickly entered the sheriff's office through the front door.

"Hold it!"

In front of him was the disheveled figure of Peter Rodriquez, one arm around the throat of the rookie deputy Pablo, the other holding a gun, pointed towards him.

"How did you know I had gotten out, huh?" Rodriquez yelled, waving the weapon in his hand.

Biting back the temptation to be sarcastic, Rick merely replied, "We got a call that you wanted to kill yourself. It looks like you changed your mind."

A look of surprise crossed the younger man's face. "Yeah, but ….why would you care?"

"Why? Because once upon a time you saved my wife and I…your brother would have tried to rob us, then when he wanted to kill me in cold blood, you distracted him." Rick told him honestly. "We owe you for that at least…even if you did intend to terrorize us for your brother's crimes."

"Yeah, I did save you….but then you and Mrs. Simon were responsible…" Rodriquez started to bluster again, but Rick cut him off.

"We were responsible for saving our own lives, that's what! Your brother shot at both my wife and I….he earned being killed instead of us."

"Peter, can you honestly blame my mother and father for defending themselves…." Robbie added, inching towards his desk

At that, Rodriquez froze, his expression dark with anger. "Shut up! I blame…" he began, leveling his gun again at Rick.

"Down, Rick!"

Without pause Rick dropped to the floor, then heard the sounds of a body landing against another.

"Nooo….where did you come from?"

Turning his head, he saw an angry Steve pinning Rodriquez to the floor with one hand, while grabbing a set of handcuffs from Robbie with the other.

"All clear, Pop…you okay?"

Relieved, Rick let his son give him a hand to his feet, then he patted Steve on the shoulder. "I'm fine, thanks to the cavalry here…"

"You weren't so bad yourself, pal." Steve shrugged, his expression softening as he watched Robbie yank their assailant from the floor, seemingly in shock. As Andy helped Pablo to a chair, there was a screeching of brakes from the street, then Ron Johnson's voice sounded from outside the front door.

"Rick? Everything okay in there?"

The older Simon chuckled as Robbie pushed Rodriquez into a cell, then called out, "All clear, Ron."

Rick hit send on his watch. "You heard the man, Ron…come on in…we have a transfer for you…"


	11. Chapter 11

"We wish you a Merry Christmasssss, and a Happy New Year!"

Once again the old English carol sounded in Rick's ears, but this time he grinned proudly as his grandson Davey pounded it out on his portable piano. Piano lessons had been a birthday gift to him and Katie from Oscar, and the older Simons were amazed at how quickly he learned the instrument.

"That's great, Davey….thank you for playing for us." Laurie praised, as the rest of the family applauded. Beaming with pride, the youngest of Robbie's children bowed, then went and sat with his cousin Katie by the fireplace as Rudy stood and raised his cup of punch.

"I want to offer a Christmas Toast…..to Rick for arranging such a nice surprise visit of Robin and Ian and all of you…and to Chief Rob, for proving that wild turkeys still flourish in our valley…and to all the children.." he added. "For helping us keep Christmas, and remembering the joy of it."

"I second that…" Oscar clinked his glass to his old friend, then to Cecilia, as Andy called out, "here, here!".

Just then the familiar sound of bells rang close to the ranch house, and Rick smiled as Melly jumped up and down. "It's Santa….Chelsea, listen…it's Santa!"

Bright-eyed from her nap, one year old Chelsea bounced impatiently in her crib and squealed, "Santa, mama!" as Ramona laughed. Jaime Austin reached in and picked up her godchild.

"Now you've done it, Melly…she loves Santa and his reindeer!" she joked, as Ramona added, "she wants to bring them home, I think!"

"Well, I think that would be great…I mean Auntie Laurie would love to have a reindeer, don't you?" Melly replied, giggling at the mock horror in the expression of her Uncle.

"No, I don't think so, Munchkin…Grandma doesn't mind one visiting, but to live here..uh, uh!" Rick snickered, getting up from his chair, then helping Laurie to her feet.

"Come on, sweetheart, time to let Santa in…."

Once presents were unwrapped, and thank you hugs given and received, Santa consented to a cup of cocoa in the kitchen with "good girl" Jaime, to all the oohs and ahs of the teenagers.

"I think we need to have a good night story, don't you, Laurie.." Oscar decided to distract Davey and Katie, who were asking if they could "join" Santa in the kitchen.

"Yes, we can't forget the Christmas story, kids, can we?" she replied, going to the bookshelves and picking up a familiar red book. "Now, who wants to show the pictures to Chelsea?"

At once there was a clamor from Petey, Melly, and the other Simon and Whitecloud children and they gathered around Laurie as Ramona let Melly hold her cousin.

"Once upon a time….."

Seeing his wife occupied, Rick crept out of sight and pulled 2 brightly decorated packages from his office, then snuck around the Christmas tree and planted them underneath.

"Move over, I need to put something there too.."

The older Simon bit back a chuckle as he quietly slid aside and let A.J. stoop down and place 4 wrapped presents next to his.

"Want to see if Santa's gone?" he whispered, then snuck past the children and went into the kitchen.

Finding it empty, except for a note reading "Merry Christmas-see you for breakfast!", A.J. raided the cupboard for cookies while Rick poured 2 cups of coffee and set them on the table.

"I thought you'd be in here…" Oscar appeared in the doorway, and Rick automatically grabbed another cup and filled it.

"Have a nightcap, Dad?"

"Don't mind if I do, son…" Oscar smiled at the guys and took a seat as A.J. pushed the plate of treats to him.

For a few moments the three men drank their coffee in silence, until the older man broke the quiet.

"Rick, you saw Joe while we were in the cave, didn't you?"

Surprised, Rick did a spit take, then caught his breath as A.J. looked puzzled at Oscar.

"He saw who?"

"Chief Joseph….I was starting to fall asleep from the carbon monoxide, " Rick explained, hoping it made sense to the others. "All at once I heard his voice, then he told me…well, that I had to fight to save all three of us. He …Dad…." He broke off, not wanting to repeat the horrible vision he'd had.

"He showed you what would happen if we didn't make it." Oscar told him, and Rick nodded.

"It was ….well, awful." He said, uncomfortably. "Mom and Laurie were crying, and Robbie was upset, and then it was later, and Laurie went for one last ride, and was thrown from Lightening."

He swallowed hard, and A.J. leaned over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, I can't bear to imagine what Linny would have gone through, if you hadn't woken us up." He sighed, then managed to smile when Oscar added, "That's what I heard, Joseph telling you to fight the drowsiness, or we would die. I didn't have the strength to wake up, but you did. I'm proud of you, Rick."

"Thanks, Dad….but there's no way I'm leaving my girl, or putting Mom through something so awful." He replied, moved. Just then Laurie's voice was heard in the background.

"Okay, it's time to go to bed and wait for Santa…Good night!"

"That's my cue.." Rick grinned, then finished his coffee and got up from the table just as Laurie came in.

"Rick? I think the kids can put themselves to bed…whoops!" she squealed, as Rick scooped her up into his arms.

"I heard you, time to go wait for Santa!" he snickered, then carried her out of the room as the others laughed.

"Well, that's one way to celebrate!" Oscar laughed, then caught a shadow through the kitchen window. Getting up, he went to the back door and opened it, only to catch sight of the form of Chief Joseph standing in the middle of the patio.

"Thank you, Joe. …" He whispered, then smiled as his friend nodded in his direction, then mouthed "Merry Christmas" to him, before disappearing into the cold moonlight.

"Oscar?" Cecilia appeared next to him, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Let's go to bed, honey….and I'll tell you about a real Christmas miracle." Oscar promised, putting an arm around her.

"This I need to hear, good night, A.J." Cecelia replied, kissing her son's cheek then leaving the room with Oscar.

"Night, Mom..Dad." he replied, then turning toward the now empty backyard, added, "Thank you, Chief." As he started out of the kitchen, he missed seeing the former chief illuminated in the moonlight. A proud smile appeared on his face as he murmured, "You are welcome, my son…be happy." A moment later, he was gone, and the only sounds were the wind blowing through the cactus, and the faint singing of children..

"Sleep in heavenly peace…"

Fin


End file.
